The International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) is an important community-organized venue, convened regularly since 1987 and annually since 1995. Its main purpose is to gather the entire scientific community interested in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, to improve the knowledge of basic biological processes, but also to target major issues related to crop production in the context of fluctuating environmental constraints, including climate change. By providing the opportunity for international colleagues to meet and share cutting-edge results concerning basic plant biology, and fostering interactions between young scientists and more established researchers, ICAR has become a key global event.

The international coordination of ICAR is managed by the "Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee" (MASC), an international committee composed of national representatives of the Arabidopsis scientific community. Each year, MASC invites a country to organize the ICAR edition to be held two years later and then leaves the local organizing committee to manage the event. In 2016, the ICAR will take place inGyeongju, Korea. In 2017, the ICAR will be held in North America.